Into My Garden Come
by i.paint.the.sky
Summary: Kayla Roslin finds out what young Willie has been up to and decides to step in to make sure Joseph does something about it. Features appearances by a young Laura Roslin as well.


Into my Garden Come

Set around the episode "There Is Another Sky." The title comes from the last line of the Emily Dickson which begins with the line "There is another sky."

I know that the original series bible gives Laura's mother a different name but considering very little of that bible was actually used in canon, I decided to go with my own (also, I only found out about "Judith" after I had started this story and was already attached to my own name for the character).

* * *

This was it. _This was it_, the last straw. Kayla Roslin looked down at her attendance sheet, comparing it with the reports from other teachers, and swore to Zeus that she would put an end to this, _now_.

She sat down at her computer, accessing the student directory. Adams, William. It was easy to find alphabetically, he was right there on the first page. Father: Joseph. Yes, she'd already known that much. She also knew that Mr. Adams was a lawyer and a very good one – or a very bad one, depending on your point of view. And, of course, she knew that Willie's mother and sister had been victims of the terrorist bombing on the Lev.

It was that last bit of knowledge which had stayed her hand for so long. Obviously, the boy was in mourning, some acting out was to be expected. But the way things were progressing now, well, it was a slippery slope for the young boy. The worst was the blatant deception of coming in for morning roll call and then skipping out on the rest of the day. It was something that Kayla knew students had gotten away with before but none of those students had been _her_ students.

She picked up her phone and quickly dialed the listed number. She wasn't in the least bit surprised when it went right to voice-mail.

"Mr. Adams, this is Kayla Roslin, Willie's homeroom teacher. I need to arrange a meeting with you as soon as possible. Please call me so we can figure out a time. If you need to, call me at home, my number is 555-2350. I'll be in touch."

She put the phone down, staring at Willie's information for another moment. Yes, it was definitely time for someone to step in and it looked like right now the only someone who cared to notice was her.

*

"Mommy! Look at me!"

Kayla turned towards her daughter with a smile. "I'm looking, Laura. What do you want to show me?"

The little girl beamed. "I learned how to do a somersault today," she said proudly before demonstrating, her skirt flying over her head as she did.

"That's very good, love," Kayla praised her. "Why don't you go show Daddy?"

"Okay!"

Laura quickly scampered off, leaving Kayla alone to stare at her telephone again. She hadn't received a reply. She's tried calling again and got an answer this time, a woman she assumed was Willie's grandmother. The conversation had not gone well; then again it never did with Taurons and that woman had been as Tauron as they come.

For some strange reason, she didn't expect her message to have been passed along.

So, clearly arranging the meeting by phone was out. She wasn't even going to consider mail, electronic or otherwise. Which only left her with one option.

"Frak."

*

The Caprica City courthouse was an imposing building. Kayla had never been inside it but she had walked by its steps many times. Today, that was going to change.

As always, it had only taken a glance at the legal news to find out that Joseph Adams was in court today, defending his latest client. Kayla shivered, thinking about how many dangerous men and women were out there, free on the streets, because of one talented lawyer. Sometimes this city seemed so safe, the perfect place to live, to raise a family. But she knew it wasn't perfect, knew there were parts of it underneath the pristine surface that she wanted nothing to do with. Yet still, here she was, in the place that often seemed run by those darker, dangerous elements. The place that put them all back on the streets and then man who caused it.

No, no, she couldn't think like that. Right now, to her, Joseph Adams had to be a father, just a parent who needed to spend more time with his son. As long as she focused on that, she could ignore the rest of it.

The trial was still in session so she seated herself outside, pulling out her book and settling down to try and enjoy it. It was a good mystery novel, despite a disastrous title. She liked it so far, even more so because it managed to provide enough of a distraction as she waited, and waited, and waited.

Finally the doors opened and the crowd of spectators began to trickle out. She was not surprised to see tattoos on many of them. There was a gap in the sea of people and then a familiar face strode out, his face as unreadable as it had been in all the pictures she had ever seen. It was an expression she had also seen so many times on his son.

She stood up. "Mr Adams, may I have a word?"

He turned away from her without even a glance. She followed.

"Mr Adams, I need to talk to you."

He stopped, turned around slowly. "It's Adama."

Dear gods, his son was in the middle of a crisis and he was going to argue semantics with her? "Fine, Mr _Adama_. My name is Kayla Roslin. I've been trying to get in touch with you for a week now."

"I'm a very busy man," he said, beginning to walk away again.

"It's about your son."

She had to give him credit, he stopped right away at that. For a moment she thought she could hear the cogs in his brain working, putting together the pieces until he figured it out and turned around again.

"You're Willie's homeroom teacher."

"Yes, I am," she told him, nodding.

He looked at her and Kayla felt like he was finally seeing her for the first time. And finally ready to listen...maybe.

"I got a call from another one of Willie's teachers the other day, I know he hasn't been in school," he said after a moment.

"I'm glad someone's message got through." And she was glad, not to mention surprised, that someone else had noticed.

"Things have been...complicated, ever since his mother and sister died. I know that."

"I imagined that you would better than anyone. The question is, Mr Adama, what do you intend to do about it?"

He met her gaze calmly, with eyes full of shadows.

"I don't know."

*

Kayla and Laura always went to the park on Saturday afternoon, so long as the sun was shining and it was today. A light breeze blew through Kayla's hair, making it catch the light and glimmer with gold and red. Kayla let out a content sigh. Life was good right now.

"Life's good right now."

She jumped at the sudden voice, spinning around to see Joseph Adama standing nearby, Willie at his side.

"I'm sorry," Joseph said, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine," she told him. "How are you today, Willie?"

The boy looked over at her and all over his face she could see signs of improvement, signs that something had happened to finally lift the cloud of anger and grief that had followed him for so long. He'd been in class every day the last week. Seeing him today gave her hope that it was a lasting change.

"Mommy, Mommy!" Kayla turned around, smiling as Laura came running over. Her daughter looked over at Joseph and Willie. "Hello, who are you?"

"This is Mr. Adams...I mean, Adama, and his son. Willie is one of my students. This is my daughter, Laura."

Joseph smiled, leaning down. "Hello Laura, it's nice to meet you. Do you like coming to the park?"

The girl beamed. "Yes, sir, I love it."

Joseph laughed. "And what do you like best?"

"The swings!"

"A good choice," he said, standing up and looking towards his son. "How about you go play on the swings and Willie here can push you. Would you like that?"

Laura nodded. "That would be great."

For a moment, Kayla thought Willie might refuse but eventually he shrugged and the two of them headed off, leaving her and Joseph in private, which was just what the man had wanted, of course. They stood in silence for awhile, until Kayla finally raised the issue they both were thinking about.

"Willie mentioned the memorial ceremony. I think it was just what he needed."

Joseph nodded. "I wanted to thank you for noticing that something was wrong, when I was too blind to see it. I know it took a lot of work to get through to me but it did help."

"I'm glad to hear it. I only want what's best for Willie, and all my other students too."

"There aren't enough teachers like you, Mrs. Roslin."

There was nothing Kayla could say to that, other than a quiet acceptance that it was true. "I do what I can."

"Thank you again for that."

"You're welcome."

Laura's shrieks of delight drew her attention away from the man beside her and back towards the swing set. Willie even looked like he might be smiling. She and Joseph let silence fall between them again, as they stood together, watching and letting their children's joy wash over them.

It really was a beautiful day.


End file.
